Sure he’s played a few gay characters, but don’t get it twisted: James Franco says he’s straight, and if he wasn’t he’d admit it.

“Everyone thinks I’m a stoner, and some people think I’m gay because I’ve played these gay roles,” Franco told The Advocate. "That’s what people think, but it’s not true. I don’t smoke pot. I’m not gay…”

The actor sat down with the publication for an interview appearing in the October issue to discuss his role as iconic gay poet Allen Ginsberg in the soon-to-be-released biopic “Howl.”

Franco said he’s attracted to roles as gay characters because he finds them scarce and more challenging.

“In this history of cinema, there are so many heterosexual love stories,” Franco said. “It’s so hammered, so done. It’s just not that interesting to me. It’s more interesting to me to play roles and relationships that haven’t been portrayed as often.”

Deciding to portray Ginsberg was a more popular idea than one of his other high-profile roles, Franco said.

“You want to know what my agents did try to talk me out of?” he said. “'General Hospital.’ They didn’t think me acting in a soap opera was the greatest idea. But they know that I’ve always wanted to do a movie about the Beats, so no one tried to stop me from playing Allen Ginsberg.”

TERRENCE HOWARD...STATED...THAT HE COULD NEVER PLAY...A GAY PERSON OR A FEMALE...IN A MOVIE...BECAUSE...HE SAID:DEEP DOWN YOU HAVE TO FEEL THAT WAY...ABOUT YOURSELF...IN ORDER TO PLAY...THAT KIND OF ROLE...HE ALSO...SAID THAT HE COULD NEVER FELL...THAT WAY ABOUT HIMSELF...SO HE COULD NEVER PLAY THAT TYPE OF ROLE...CHEW ON THAT FOR AWHILE.

why is that hard to believe? have you seen his schedule? he just completed 3 degrees in 3 years in 3 different schools at the same time, while shooting on a Soap Opera, shooting movies, writing fiction short stories, filming short films, and putting together an art show. When would he have time to smoke weed?

quickly becoming one of the best actors of his generation. He's getting some amazing reviews for 127 hours and getting his performance praised as career-best and a revelation of his talent. Cant wait to see it. Him and Tom Hardy are 2 actors who are going to be huge.